Pubdate: Mon, 27 Jan 2020
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Dale Gieringer

NO VAPE DISEASE FROM LEGAL MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA

Kevin Sabet has it backward in "How Legal Weed Shops Feed the Vaping
Crisis" (op-ed, Jan 21). Here in California, not a single case of vape
disease has been traced to a legal, state-regulated source, according
to the state Bureau of Cannabis Control. Rather, the source of the
problem is illicit manufacturers of contaminated goods on the
underground market.

Contrary to Mr. Sabet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
never examined the safety of state-regulated vapes. Rather, it
attributed 16% of vape disease cases to so-called "commercial"
sources, loosely defined to include all "dispensaries, vape or smoke
shops, stores and pop-up shops" regardless of their legality. In
California, illicit pot outlets outnumber legal ones by over 2 to 1,
no thanks to burdensome taxes, regulations and local and federal bans
on legal outlets.

The legal cannabis industry reacted creditably to the vape crisis by
promptly calling for improved regulation of vape products.
Unfortunately, it remains illegal for researchers to investigate
state-legal products due to outdated federal laws. Were the U.S. to
legally regulate cannabis vapes as the U.K. does nicotine e-cigs, the
vape crisis would evaporate.

Dale Gieringer

Director, California NORML
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MAP posted-by: Matt